Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Pass the Canadian Citizenship Test?

Zoe Samuel

Image: pixabay

About This Quiz

Canada is one of the most-liked countries in the world. Sure, it's incredibly cold half of the year and as its government has acknowledged, it has a pretty sordid history when it comes to its treatment of indigenous people. However, these days it is unarguably one of the nicest places in the world, and that includes every country that currently exists as well as all the ones from the past. Canada has top-of-the-line health care paid for through the tax system. They have an incredibly stable government. Their major cities have public transport. It's a great place to start a business, with massive cultural and economic centers such as Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver. Their current Prime Minister, whatever you may think of his policies, is extremely good fun to look at.

All in all, Canada has got it going on. That means a lot of people would like to go and live there - and the good news is that Canadians are friendly and welcoming and not at all selfish about sharing their enviable wealth with the less fortunate. That means you can probably go there! You just have to pass this one little test first. So let's see if you're ready to head north!

What are the two official languages of Canada?

French and German

German and English

German and Dutch

French and English

It's French and English!

Where do most French-speaking Canadians live?

Manitoba

Quebec

British Columbia

Alberta

Quebec is the most French province!

What is Canada's biggest trading partner?

Mexico

USA

Russia

EU

The USA is obviously the answer. If the Arctic continues to melt, of course, Russian trade might amp up.

What are the three parts of Parliament?

The Sovereign, the House of Legislators, and the House of Judges

The Sovereign, the House of Commons and the Senate

The Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the Senate

The Sovereign, the House of Commons and the House of Lords

It's the Sovereign, the House of Commons and the Senate.

Which party is the Official Opposition at the federal level?

Conservatives

Liberals

Communists

Confederates

The Conservatives in Canada are nowhere near as right wing as their US counterparts. They are currently the second biggest party.

What is the capital city of Alberta?

Winnipeg

Edmonton

Ottawa

Toronto

Edmonton predates the existence of Canada by some 80 years. It was founded where a fort was built in colonial times.

Who are the Quebecers?

The football team of Quebec

The government of Quebec

The hockey team of Quebec

The people of Quebec

If you are from Quebec, then you are a Quebecer.

Who led Quebec into Confederation?

Sir George-Etienne Cartier

Lord Canada of the North

Sir Winston Montreal

Queen Victoria

Cartier was a lawyer from Canada who helped bring Quebec into the Confederation.

What are the three main types of industry in Canada?

Natural resources, manufacturing and services

Natural gas, oil, and mining

Tourism, services, and military

Financial sector, manufacturing, and tourism

Canada is blessed with vast lumber and other reserves and it's also a good place to make stuff, since it's cold outside most of the time.

Canada has three territories and how many provinces?

1

10

13

16

Canada has 10 provinces for a nice round number.

What are two responsibilities of the provincial and territorial government?

Health and education

Foreign policy and transport

Health and transport

Health and defense

The federal government does foreign policy.

Which provincial flag features the Fleur-de-lis?

Manitoba

Quebec

Alberta

Ontario

Quebec has this symbol as it is straight from the French royal flag.

Which party becomes the Official Opposition?

The party with the fewest MPs

The winner

The party with the second most MPs

The party which has the most opposing policies

Being the Opposition is not actually very helpful, but it does mean you get a nicer office.

When asked, who must you tell how you voted in a federal election?

No one

Everyone

Your mother

Police

You do not have to tell anyone. That's the point of secret ballot!

What is the government of all of Canada called?

Local

Federal

Terriorial

Provincial

The federal government is the boss; the others are independent though.

What are the three levels of government in Canada?

Federal, Provincial, and Municipal (local)

Federal, Provincial and Territorial, Municipal (local)

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial, Municipal (local)

Federal, Territorial, and Municipal (local)

The system is tiered so the federal government has ultimate authority but the provinces handle their own business.

What do you call a law before it is passed?

A proposed law

A bill

A future law

A law-bomb

A bill becomes a law if it passes both houses and is signed by the Governor-General.

Who is the Queen's representative in Canada?

She is!

Prince Harry

The Prime Minister

Governor-General

Currently the Queen is represented by Julie Payette.

On what date did Nunavut become a territory?

April 1st, 1999

June 12th, 1977

January 1st, 1833

March 5th, 1945

It used to be part of the Northwest Territories but now it has split off.

What is the capital of Manitoba?

Winnipeg

Ottawa

Toronto

Victoria

This Cree name means "murky water", which is due to the confluence of the Red River and Assiniboine River.

What is the population of Canada in millions?

37

101

22

5

There are only 37 million Canadians, which might be why they are so keen to invite more people.

Who do Canadians vote for in a federal election?

A candidate they want to represent them in Parliament

Members of the Senate

Chief Electoral Officer

Governor-General

You vote local and the party with the most MPs wins the majority and forms a government.

When did the British North America Act come into effect?

1801

1867

1901

1835

This act created the state of Canada.

What happened at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham?

Britain defeated France, removing them from Canada.

France defeated Britain and took Quebec.

Aboriginals defeated France and removed them from Canada.

The French surrendered before it started and left Canada.

Britain beat France out of Canada, and was then itself removed by the Canadians!

Who were the Voyagers?

Montreal-based traders who traveled by canoe

A famous Canadian rock group

A group of MPs who traveled around the country

A heroic band of soldiers who beat Nazis who tried to invade Canada from the north

The Voyagers did their trading in some of the most hostile territory, acquiring pelts and all sorts of goods.

Name two fundamental freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Freedom from want, and freedom of religion

Freedom of speech, and freedom of pineapples

Freedom of conscience and religion, and freedom of association

Freedom of thought, and freedom of conscience

The Charter protects many rights, among them these important two.

When did the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms become part of the Canadian Constitution?

1982

1867

1942

1912

Canada wasn't exactly going around mistreating everyone before this but it seemed a good idea to put their niceness into the law.

What part of the Constitution legally protects the basic rights and freedoms of all Canadians?

The Bill of Rights

Magna Carta

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The Ten Amendments

This is a relatively new document codifying and superseding an awful lot of existing law.

What is the capital city of British Columbia?

Victoria

Winnipeg

Vancouver

Alberta

Victoria is named for the formidable lady who was queen at the time of its discovery.

How does a bill become a law?

It passes the Commons and the Senate, and gets signed by the Governor-General.

The Queen says so.

It passes the Commons and the Senate and is signed by the Prime Minister.

It has a referendum.

Bills pass both houses then they are ready to be signed!

What does it mean to say Canada is a constitutional monarchy?

The Queen gets to tell everyone what to do!

Canada's Head of State is a hereditary Sovereign who reigns in accordance with the Constitution.

The Head of State is the Queen and the Prime Minister does her bidding.

The Constitution is subordinate to the monarchy.

The queen "reigns, but does not rule", as is the rule in a Constitutional Monarchy. They could abolish her if she overstepped her bounds.

Who had played an important part in building the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)?

French people

Chinese railway workers

Beavers

Aboriginal people

Canada is less diverse than the US but it is more diverse than it is often portrayed to be in US media, with a great many Canadians of Asian origin.

Who are the Aboriginal peoples of Canada?

The ethnic minorities of Canada

The first people to live in Canada

Anyone born in Canada

The first people to vote in Canada

Canada has a very troubling past when it comes to the rights of First Nations people. There are steps being taken now to wrangle with this unfortunate history.

Where do English and French have equal status in Canada?

At home

In Parliament

At work

In schools

Members can argue about things in both languages!

How is the Prime Minister chosen?

The leader of the party with the most elected representatives becomes the Prime Minister.

The Queen picks him or her.

He or she is directly elected.

The Governor-General picks him or her.

The PM is the leader of the party with the most representatives. It's not like the US system, as the executive and legislature are not fully separated.

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